MI5's software made it hard to track 7/7 bombers

Software problems hampered MI5's investigation into the perpetrators of the 7/7 London bombings, according to a report published today.

Heather Hallett, the coroner in charge of the inquest into the 52 deaths resulting from the 2005 terrorist attack, questioned MI5 about the computer systems used to monitor Mohammad Siddique Khan and his associates. Khan appeared in footage taken at a terrorist training camp in 2001 and was monitored on four separate occasions in 2004, but this only came to light after the bombings.

"Witness G", the chief of staff to Jonathan Evans, MI5's Director General, told the inquest "'it can be very difficult' to 'dig into' the files and computer systems at the Security Service to try to find out if a particular person has previously come to their attention," adding that the difficulty arose from the large number of people with the surname Khan. Even using the name Siddique Khan "may not produce helpful results", says Hallet.

The report is unclear on how much MI5's search systems have been upgraded since the incident. "Changes are being made all the time," says Hallet:

Given the speed at which technology is developing I would have been worried if Witness G had said there were no changes still to be made. The software must presumably change on a fairly regular basis

Hallet adds that she is "not in a position to explore this issue further" and "must leave it to the experts". She says:

I have no doubt the officers of the Security Service will themselves bid for the best possible software to do their job. I can only express the fervent hope that they are given it. Their job is too important for them to be hampered by outdated technology

"There has been significant investment in our IT systems since 2005 as the Security Service moved from paper-based files," a Home Office spokesperson told New Scientist, but citing operational security reasons, they would not confirm the nature of the software used either in 2005 or today.